kids.
Nan wasnât happy when she saw us shuffling up the footpath.
âWhat are you kids doing here? They were supposed to keep you late at school.â
We just shrugged our shoulders, neither Jill nor I had the faintest idea what she was talking about.
âGo outside and play,â Nan ordered grumpily.
Jill immediately raced out the back to play with Billy, but I decided Iâd like something to eat first. I was just coming out of the kitchen with a Vegemite sandwich half stuffed in my mouth when the familiar sound of an ambulance siren drew me to the front door. Nan stood impatiently on the porch, she had her hand over her mouth. When she saw me, she turned crossly and said, âI told you to go out the back and play!â
Two ambulance men hurried up the path. A stretcher case, I noted, as they walked briskly through. In a few minutes, they returned, and I watched as they carried Dad carefully, but quickly, down our faded red footpath. This time, I couldnât see his face.
Billy, Jill and David pushed up behind me, followed by Mrs Mainwaring, our neighbour. Before I knew it, sheâd ushered us into the lounge room and told us to all sit down, as she had something important to say. It was then that I noticed Mum squashed in the old cane chair in the corner of the room. Nan hovered beside her, stuffing menâs handkerchiefs into her hand. It occurred to me she already had more than enough.
âWhat are ya crying for, Mum?â I asked, puzzled. Whenever heâd gone before, she hadnât cried. Dad was like a boomerang. Mum continued to sniffle. I tried to reassure her by saying confidently, âHe always comes back,â at which, she broke down completely and hid her face in a striped grey handkerchief.
âPlease sit down, Sally,â said Mrs Mainwaring. âI have something to tell you all.â I obeyed instantly. She was a nice middle-aged lady and we were a little in awe of her. Her home was very neat.
âNow â¦â she continued, âI have some bad news for you all.â She paused and took a deep breath.
âHeâs dead, isnât he?â I was sure I said it out loud, but I couldnât have, because everyone ignored me.
âHeâs dead, isnât he?â I repeated, but still no response. My heart was pounding. Mrs Mainwaringâs lips were moving, but Icouldnât hear a word. He was dead, I knew it, Dad was gone.
âNow children, I want you all to go to your rooms.â Somehow, this sentence managed to penetrate my numb brain. I looked around at my brothers and sisters, no one was moving. I craned my neck to look at Mum, she was avoiding my gaze. We all looked blank. What were we going to do in our rooms?
Mrs Mainwaring finally pulled each one of us up and ushered us out. As I closed the bedroom door, Jill said, âWhat are we sâposed to do?â
I was shocked, it wasnât like her not to know what the right thing was. With the superior confidence of a nine-year-old, I flung myself stomach-down on the bed and said, âI sâpose weâd better cry.â
We cried for what seemed a long time, when our bedroom door slowly opened and the freckled face of Billy peered around.
âIâm going outside, who wants to come and play?â
âYou horrible boy,â I growled, âdonât you know heâs dead?!â After all, heâd been with Dad all day. Billy vanished.
âHe doesnât understand,â Jill defended him as usual. âHe doesnât know what heâs sâposed to do.â
We lay on our beds a few moments longer. I began to count the fly specks on the ceiling.
âSally ⦠do ya think ⦠we could ⦠go outside and play now?â Jill asked, hesitantly.
âYouâre as bad as Billy.â
âWell at least I cried. That wasnât easy, you know.â Jill put her head under her arm. I watched her silently.
âOh, come on
Nan wasnât happy when she saw us shuffling up the footpath.
âWhat are you kids doing here? They were supposed to keep you late at school.â
We just shrugged our shoulders, neither Jill nor I had the faintest idea what she was talking about.
âGo outside and play,â Nan ordered grumpily.
Jill immediately raced out the back to play with Billy, but I decided Iâd like something to eat first. I was just coming out of the kitchen with a Vegemite sandwich half stuffed in my mouth when the familiar sound of an ambulance siren drew me to the front door. Nan stood impatiently on the porch, she had her hand over her mouth. When she saw me, she turned crossly and said, âI told you to go out the back and play!â
Two ambulance men hurried up the path. A stretcher case, I noted, as they walked briskly through. In a few minutes, they returned, and I watched as they carried Dad carefully, but quickly, down our faded red footpath. This time, I couldnât see his face.
Billy, Jill and David pushed up behind me, followed by Mrs Mainwaring, our neighbour. Before I knew it, sheâd ushered us into the lounge room and told us to all sit down, as she had something important to say. It was then that I noticed Mum squashed in the old cane chair in the corner of the room. Nan hovered beside her, stuffing menâs handkerchiefs into her hand. It occurred to me she already had more than enough.
âWhat are ya crying for, Mum?â I asked, puzzled. Whenever heâd gone before, she hadnât cried. Dad was like a boomerang. Mum continued to sniffle. I tried to reassure her by saying confidently, âHe always comes back,â at which, she broke down completely and hid her face in a striped grey handkerchief.
âPlease sit down, Sally,â said Mrs Mainwaring. âI have something to tell you all.â I obeyed instantly. She was a nice middle-aged lady and we were a little in awe of her. Her home was very neat.
âNow â¦â she continued, âI have some bad news for you all.â She paused and took a deep breath.
âHeâs dead, isnât he?â I was sure I said it out loud, but I couldnât have, because everyone ignored me.
âHeâs dead, isnât he?â I repeated, but still no response. My heart was pounding. Mrs Mainwaringâs lips were moving, but Icouldnât hear a word. He was dead, I knew it, Dad was gone.
âNow children, I want you all to go to your rooms.â Somehow, this sentence managed to penetrate my numb brain. I looked around at my brothers and sisters, no one was moving. I craned my neck to look at Mum, she was avoiding my gaze. We all looked blank. What were we going to do in our rooms?
Mrs Mainwaring finally pulled each one of us up and ushered us out. As I closed the bedroom door, Jill said, âWhat are we sâposed to do?â
I was shocked, it wasnât like her not to know what the right thing was. With the superior confidence of a nine-year-old, I flung myself stomach-down on the bed and said, âI sâpose weâd better cry.â
We cried for what seemed a long time, when our bedroom door slowly opened and the freckled face of Billy peered around.
âIâm going outside, who wants to come and play?â
âYou horrible boy,â I growled, âdonât you know heâs dead?!â After all, heâd been with Dad all day. Billy vanished.
âHe doesnât understand,â Jill defended him as usual. âHe doesnât know what heâs sâposed to do.â
We lay on our beds a few moments longer. I began to count the fly specks on the ceiling.
âSally ⦠do ya think ⦠we could ⦠go outside and play now?â Jill asked, hesitantly.
âYouâre as bad as Billy.â
âWell at least I cried. That wasnât easy, you know.â Jill put her head under her arm. I watched her silently.
âOh, come on
Similar Books
